Oz the Great and Powerful, Trance: 5 must-watch March movies

With the Oscars now done and dusted for another year, awards season is officially over and it's time to welcome in the sunnier, lighter-hearted period that is blockbuster season.

While you'll have to wait another month for your first comic book movie fix in the form of Iron Man 3, the year's first big tent-pole releases are coming this month, with Bryan Singer's Jack the Giant Slayer following hot on the heels of James Franco-starrer Oz the Great and Powerful.

Digital Spy lists five must-see releases from the coming month below:

StokerRelease date: March 1Why you should see it: Legendary Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) makes his English language debut with his pitch-black gothic fairy tale. Mia Wasikowska stars as an emotionally remote young woman who develops a strange relationship with her uncle (Matthew Goode) following her father's mysterious death, while Nicole Kidman plays her fragile mother. Visually stunning and incredibly unsettling, this is a mesmerisingly unique thriller that needs to be seen on the big screen.

Oz the Great and PowerfulRelease date: March 8Why you should see it: Come on – who doesn't want to see a prequel to The Wizard of Oz starring James Franco as a shady, moustached younger incarnation of the Wiz himself? This is also Sam Raimi's first foray into blockbuster filmmaking since his Spider-Man trilogy wrapped up in 2007, and with the added element of Mila Kunis, Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz as a trio of witches, there's a whole lot of reasons to get excited about returning to Oz.

Side EffectsRelease date: March 8Why you should see it: Steven Soderbergh's chilling, supremely smart medical thriller stars Rooney Mara as a young woman struggling with depression following her husband's (Channing Tatum) return from jail. After she begins taking a new medication prescribed by her psychiatrist (Jude Law), she experiences nightmarish side effects which turn her life upside down overnight. Spearheaded by a pair of compelling turns from Law and Mara, this is an incredibly tense and taut movie that's consistently one step ahead of its audience.

Jack the Giant SlayerRelease date: March 22Why you should see it: It's been a long, long time coming – Bryan Singer and Warner Bros' twist on Jack and the Beanstalk had its release date pushed back on two separate occasions last year, reportedly for effects-related reasons. Starring Nicholas Hoult in the lead role of farmhand-turned-hero Jack, and promising a "more adult" take on the familiar story, this has the potential to be genuine fun for the entire family, especially with the likes of Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci and Eddie Marsan on hand to lend support.

TranceRelease date: March 27Why you should see it: Danny Boyle's been taking a well earned break from the big screen since his double-whammy of awards success with Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours - although he wasn't exactly resting on his laurels, what with that Olympics wotsit - and his new crime thriller looks set to be worth the wait. James McAvoy plays an auctioneer who joins forces with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting, which we're guessing is among the more unusual plot summaries you've heard this month.

Which movies are you looking forward to seeing in February? Were we wrong to leave out The Host, GI Joe: Retaliation and Identity Thief? Vote and comment below!